Montgomery Kevin, Burgess Lawrence, Dev Parvati, Heinrichs Leroy
National Biocomputation Center, Stanford University, USA.
Stud Health Technol Inform. 2006;119:399-403.
Computer-based surgical simulation systems have produced tremendous benefits and demonstrated validity as a better method for many areas of surgical skills acquisition. However, despite these benefits, broad proliferation of these systems has continued to be elusive. While in large part this lag in adoption of this technology is due to social factors (organizational momentum, curriculum integration difficulties, etc), the cost of computer-based simulation systems has certainly remained a major deterrent toward broad deployment. Instead, what if it were possible to eliminate the cost of the large computer completely from the system, yet provide a much more extensive and detailed simulation than currently available? Finally, what if a simulation with even greater detail over a wider anatomical area were possible?This is the genesis of Project Hydra- a shared simulation supercomputer were made available for free and all that is required to access it is a low-end Internet-connected computer and, optionally, interaction/haptics devices as needed for the particular task. This would enable supercomputer-class simulation at every desktop with much greater fidelity than any user could individually afford and provide an online community for simulation research and application. Further, Internet-based simulation provides for many other benefits as well. By the user merely plugging optional, additional hardware into their existing, low-end PC and using the Internet as a means of simulation dissemination, distribution, and delivery means that the user can have immediate access to simulation updates/upgrades and download/access new content (didactic curriculum and cases). Further, this ease of access and use could lead to accelerated adoption and use of simulation within the medical curriculum and this access is provided anywhere in the world 24 x 7. In addition, once connected, a server-based simulation system would be a natural point for performing easy, automated clinical studies of surgical performance and skills.
基于计算机的手术模拟系统已经带来了巨大的益处，并证明了其作为一种更好的手术技能获取方法在许多领域的有效性。然而，尽管有这些好处，这些系统的广泛应用仍然难以实现。虽然在很大程度上，这项技术采用的滞后是由于社会因素（组织动力、课程整合困难等），但基于计算机的模拟系统的成本无疑仍然是广泛部署的主要障碍。相反，如果有可能完全从系统中消除大型计算机的成本，同时提供比目前可用的更广泛、更详细的模拟呢？最后，如果有可能在更广泛的解剖区域进行更详细的模拟呢？这就是九头蛇项目的起源——一个共享的模拟超级计算机，免费提供使用，访问它所需的只是一台低端联网计算机，以及根据特定任务需要可选的交互/触觉设备。这将使每个桌面都能进行超级计算机级别的模拟，其保真度比任何用户单独负担得起的要高得多，并为模拟研究和应用提供一个在线社区。此外，基于互联网的模拟还提供许多其他好处。用户只需将可选的附加硬件插入其现有的低端个人电脑，并将互联网用作模拟传播、分发和交付的手段，这意味着用户可以立即获得模拟更新/升级，并下载/访问新内容（教学课程和案例）。此外，这种易于访问和使用可能会加速模拟在医学课程中的采用和使用，并且在世界任何地方都能24小时随时提供这种访问。此外，一旦连接，基于服务器的模拟系统将是进行简单、自动化的手术性能和技能临床研究的自然场所。
